Treatment of a solitary adenoma of the parathyroid gland with ultrasound-guided percutaneous radio-frequency-tissue-ablation (RFTA)

Radio-Frequency-Tissue-Ablation (RFTA) for the treatment of primary and secondary tumours of the liver has been used for several years, but this minimally invasive treatment is not limited to the liver. A patient suffering from symptomatic postmenopausal osteoporosis, additionally having primary hyperparathyroidism since 1995, refused a surgical resection of the adenoma of the parathyroid gland. Sonographically a 16 mm hypoechoic tumour dorsal of the right upper pole of the thyroid gland was detected. Osteodensitometry: severe osteoporosis of the lumbar spine (88% of the norm for this age group). Blood check: Elevation of serum calcium level (3.1 mmol/l) and serum parathormone level 274 pg/dl (N: 10-50). A percutaneous ultrasound guided RFTA of the adenoma of the thyroid gland was carried out. After RFTA the serum parathormone levels and the serum calcium levels dropped back to normal. The patient was followed-up for one year. For the first time a sufficient therapy for osteoporosis comprising calcium, etidronate and cholecalciferol could be carried out. The osteodensitometry carried out one year after treatment showed an increase in bone density. For the treatment of symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism RFTA can be a therapeutic alternative for patients with contraindications for surgery.